OEDEK OF aUADEUMANA. 537 



Nevertheless, when looked at closely, the physical resemblance 

 is not 80 complete as it appears at first sight, and we perceive 

 that the Monkey is far from attaining perfection precisely in 

 those organs which assure the superiority of the human being 

 over the rest of the creation. 



It is only by great and visible efforts that any of the Quad- 

 rumana are able to maintain themselves erect on their posterior 

 limbs. Even the structure of their feet — which are veritable 

 hands, like those terminating their upper limbs — is an obstacle 

 to vertical progression; for it prevents their resting solidly on 

 the ground, and preserving a state of firm equilibrium. 



Monkeys have hands, it is true — that is, members composed of 

 five fingers, one of which, the thumb, is opposable to the other 

 four : these are organs proper to prehension and the diverse acts 

 resulting therefrom. It is even more richly endowed than Man 

 in this respect ; for it possesses four hands, from whence originates 

 the generic name of Quadrumana (animals with four hands) given 

 to the entire Order. But this multiplication of hands, so far from 

 being a sign of power, is, as we shall see hereafter, a mark of 

 inferiority, inasmuch as it prevents the vertical status. And, 

 moreover, the hand of the Monkey is not the admirable instru- 

 ment that enables Man' to accomplish marvels of industry and 

 art. Its thumb is short, and widely separated from the other 

 fingers, which it only imperfectly opposes ; and, in addition, the 

 fingers are mutually dependent one upon the other, and cannot act 

 separately as in the hand of Man. In every way the comparison 

 between the two is to our advantage. 



Lastly, that which puts an abyss between the Monkey and Man, 

 is that the first, although organised to produce the same sounds as 

 the latter, and although possessing the same form of larynx and 

 tongue, is yet incapable of speech. 



An ingenious philosopher, Joseph De Maistre, has clearly 

 pointed out the distance that separates Man from Monkeys. 

 "The latter," he says, "willingly approach fires lighted at 

 night by travellers to warm themselves, or to warn off ferocious 

 beasts ; but they never light them." The act of making a fire, 

 which appears to us so simple, is beyond the limits of their intelli- 

 gence. Take, on the contrary, the most degraded savage — a 

 Bushman, if you will : he rubs two pieces of dry wood together, 



